At the beginning of any hui, following the pōwhiri (formal welcome) or the mihi whakatau a round of introductions and speeches – or mihimihi – usually occurs. During this time, people ordinarily stand to share a little bit about where they come from and who they are in relation to this (i.e. share their pepeha, or tribal aphorism); many share significant parts of their whakapapa (genealogy).
Whakapapa
While whakapapa is about the recitation of genealogy – lineage or ancestry – it also literally means to ‘place in layers’ or ‘create a base’. It places our people in a wider context, linking us to a common ancestor, our ancestral land, our waterways and our tribal (and sub-tribal) groupings. Hence, the literal translation fits with the broader meaning of ancestry and the expansive nature of its ‘layers’.
As alluded to previously, whakapapa is about relationships, with both the land and with people. The name tangata whenua or ‘people (tangata) of the land (whenua)’, our nation’s first people, makes reference to this relationship, as does the term mana whenua, the mana (prestige) held by the people of that place. Another significant term which highlights this relationship is tūrangawaewae, literally, a place (tūranga) to stand (waewae). Tūrangawaewae tends to be where we were either born or brought up, or alternatively, our ancestral land. It is a place where we feel we have a strong sense of belonging and a deep spiritual connection. The importance of our foundational relationship with the whenua and its enduring ability to sustain us is described aptly in the following whakatauki (proverb):
Whatu ngarongaro te tangata, toitū te whenua. People will perish, but the land is permanent.
Everything we do as a people is derived from our whakapapa, the way we:
Greet the dawn and farewell the day
Gather kai (food) and ensure our food collection methods are sustainable for future generations
Farewell our loved ones who have passed on
Communicate with our Atua (gods) and call for their protection and guidance
Cut, prepare and utilise natural fibres for our clothing
Go about our day
Our tikanga (traditions, practices, beliefs) are derived from whakapapa and dictate the way our society functions, in terms of the ‘lore’ we adhere to as well as the ‘law’ we abide by.
Whakapapa is also about our connections to people and our relationship with them. So often when we meet others, we listen out for tell-tale signs of where they come from; it could be a common land feature (e.g.: Ko Aoraki te mauka/Aoraki is my mountain – linking that person to the South Island, and most likely, the iwi of Ngāi Tahu) or a well-known name (e.g. Ko Brooking te ingoa whānau/Brooking is my last name – linking that person to the East Coast of the North Island, and probably, the tribe of Ngāti Porou). People, and therefore relationships, are the cornerstone to the essence of being Māori.
Hutia te rito o te harakeke, kei hea rā te kōmako e kō? Kī mai ki ahau, he aha te mea nui o te Ao? Māku e kī atu, he tangata, he tangata, he tangata.
If you were to pluck out the centre of the flax bush, where would the bellbird sing? If you were to ask me, "What is the most important thing in the world?" I would reply, "It is people, people, people."
English
Maori
My (ancestral) mountain is ........................
Ko ........................ tōku maunga
My (ancestral) river is ........................
Ko ........................ tōku awa
My (ancestral) canoe is ........................
Ko ........................ tōku waka
My (ancestral) tribe is ........................
Ko ........................ tōku iwi
My (ancestral) marae is ........................
Ko ........................ tōku marae
........................ is my grandfather
Ko ........................ tōku koro
........................ is my grandmother
Ko ........................ tōku kuia
........................ is my mother
Ko ........................ tōku whaea
........................ is my grandfather
Ko ........................ tōku koro
........................ is my grandmother
Ko ........................ tōku kuia
........................ is my father
Ko ........................ tōku matua
........................ is my older brother / sister
Ko ........................ tōku tuakana / tuahine / tungane
........................ is my older brother / sister
Ko ........................ tōku tuakana / tuahine / tungane
........................ is my older brother / sister
Ko ........................ tōku tuakana / tuahine / tungane
........................ is my older brother / sister
Ko ........................ tōku tuakana / tuahine / tungane
........................ is my younger brother / sister
Ko ........................ tōku teina / tuahine / tungane
........................ is my younger brother / sister
Ko ........................ tōku teina / tuahine / tungane
........................ is my younger brother / sister
Ko ........................ tōku teina / tuahine / tungane
Mihimihi/Pepeha
Mihimihi – Introductions/Speeches
At the beginning of any hui, following the pōwhiri (formal welcome) or the mihi whakatau a round of introductions and speeches – or mihimihi – usually occurs. During this time, people ordinarily stand to share a little bit about where they come from and who they are in relation to this (i.e. share their pepeha, or tribal aphorism); many share significant parts of their whakapapa (genealogy).
Whakapapa
While whakapapa is about the recitation of genealogy – lineage or ancestry – it also literally means to ‘place in layers’ or ‘create a base’. It places our people in a wider context, linking us to a common ancestor, our ancestral land, our waterways and our tribal (and sub-tribal) groupings. Hence, the literal translation fits with the broader meaning of ancestry and the expansive nature of its ‘layers’.
As alluded to previously, whakapapa is about relationships, with both the land and with people. The name tangata whenua or ‘people (tangata) of the land (whenua)’, our nation’s first people, makes reference to this relationship, as does the term mana whenua, the mana (prestige) held by the people of that place. Another significant term which highlights this relationship is tūrangawaewae, literally, a place (tūranga) to stand (waewae). Tūrangawaewae tends to be where we were either born or brought up, or alternatively, our ancestral land. It is a place where we feel we have a strong sense of belonging and a deep spiritual connection. The importance of our foundational relationship with the whenua and its enduring ability to sustain us is described aptly in the following whakatauki (proverb):
Whatu ngarongaro te tangata, toitū te whenua.
People will perish, but the land is permanent.
Everything we do as a people is derived from our whakapapa, the way we:
Our tikanga (traditions, practices, beliefs) are derived from whakapapa and dictate the way our society functions, in terms of the ‘lore’ we adhere to as well as the ‘law’ we abide by.
Whakapapa is also about our connections to people and our relationship with them. So often when we meet others, we listen out for tell-tale signs of where they come from; it could be a common land feature (e.g.: Ko Aoraki te mauka/Aoraki is my mountain – linking that person to the South Island, and most likely, the iwi of Ngāi Tahu) or a well-known name (e.g. Ko Brooking te ingoa whānau/Brooking is my last name – linking that person to the East Coast of the North Island, and probably, the tribe of Ngāti Porou). People, and therefore relationships, are the cornerstone to the essence of being Māori.
Hutia te rito o te harakeke, kei hea rā te kōmako e kō?
Kī mai ki ahau, he aha te mea nui o te Ao?
Māku e kī atu, he tangata, he tangata, he tangata.
If you were to pluck out the centre of the flax bush, where would the bellbird sing?
If you were to ask me, "What is the most important thing in the world?"
I would reply, "It is people, people, people."
English
Maori